Things proceeded quite unexpectedly during yesterday’s evening lead event of the World Cup edition in Chamonix.

The great favourite in the men’s category, the Austrian Jakob Schubert, who called the shots in the last year’s WC series winning 7 out of 11 editions, topped the semifinal route easily but unluckily while healhooking he put some weight on a bolt. According to the rules, the result he achieved on the route equaled the number ascribed to the hold he was holding at the time of the incident, which made Schubert finish the competition in #11 position. There was only one more competitor who managed to complete the semi-final line and it was Sean McColl of Canada. The star of the Canadian Team, equally strong in bouldering, made a good effort on the final route and eventually ended the event ranked 3rd. The silver medal went to one of the most experienced and titled competitors ever, Ramón Julian Puigblanque (ESP) and the one who definitely deserved gold was Sachi Amma from the Japaneese Team.

In the women’s category, a nice surprise was given by Evgenia Malamid of Russia, for whom the Chamonix final was her second one in the senior carieer in lead after a successful performance in Imst, in 2008. The podium was shared by three different nations, Japan Korea and Slovenia. Bronze went to Momoka Oda who seems stronger every season. Jain Kim’s art of elegance, technique and precision this time appeared to be not enough to reach the highest standing on the podium. Despite the fact that both the Korean and Slovenian Mina Markovic ended the final route exactly in the same place, Markovic took gold thanks to her faultless performance in the semis (she was the only one to complete the semi-final route). The current combined World Champion, Sasha DiGiulian ended #6, so definitely farther than expected.

The next WC elimination will take place already next weekend, also in France but this time in Briançon.